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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Monthly Mocktail is a four-week series running on the third Wednesday of the month leading up to summer.)
We are back again with another monthly mocktail. Spring is finally here which means that it's time for everything light, floral and refreshing.
What's more refreshing than lemonade in the spring? How about lemonade combined with fresh fruit and flowers? Yum!
Right now everywhere you look, tiny purple violets are popping out of the ground. I've always loved violets because they are one of the first signs that spring is here. Did you know that violets are an edible flower? I thought it was time to incorporate the abundance of spring flowers into the recipe this month. I traveled to a local park and gathered up a good handful of violets, rinsing and drying them well when I got home. If you can't find violets, there are plenty of other edible spring flowers to incorporate.
Other edible flowers include roses, pansies and dandelions. Be careful when foraging. There are flowers that are inedible. Do your research.
Flower Berry
Lemonade
5-8 edible spring flowers
1/4 cup raspberry puree
1 teaspoon simple syrup (optional)
1/2 lime
1/2 cup Belvoir Organic Elderflower Lemonade
1/2 cup soda water
To begin making the mocktail, mash up a handful of fresh raspberries in a plastic bag. You can use a rolling pin to help get the berries mashed. I found this to be the easiest and quickest way to make a raspberry puree. When it's well blended, cut a corner out of the plastic bag and carefully squeeze the contents into the bottom of my glass (about 1/4 cup).
On top of the raspberry mix, add 5 to 6 violet
flowers, or your own choice of edible flowers.
Next, add a dash of simple syrup and squeeze in half a lime. Unless you have a big sweet tooth, I only recommend adding a small dash of simple syrup. The rest of the ingredients will sweeten the drink right up.
Sometimes when preparing to make mocktails, I'll head over to the cocktail section of the grocery store just to see what non-alcoholic ingredients look interesting. This time, Belvoir Organic Elderflower Lemonade caught my eye. This drink on its own is delicious, and I recommend giving it a try. Fill about 1/2 of the cup with the elderflower lemonade. If you can't find elderflower lemonade, you can substitute regular lemonade.
I then dilute the drink down with 1/2 cup soda water. You can use any kind of soda water. I prefer any flavor of La Croix that suits the beverage.
For aesthetic purposes, I put a couple more violets on top of the drink and a slice of lime on the side of the glass or in the cup.
If you're anything like me, you're constantly moving once spring time and sunshine finally arrive. That's why with this drink, I would highly recommend using a reusable cup so that you can carry your refreshing drink with you all day long. Just a warning, you will probably get lots of compliments on how pretty the drink is.
Happy foraging!